Abstract

Professor Bu Zhong’s presentation explores the concept of AI imaginaries, which are collective visions and shared expectations of AI that significantly influence its development, adoption, and perception within society. It emphasizes the critical role of AI imaginaries in shaping the digital future and introduces a conceptual framework for assessing their effects and convergence with wider sociotechnical imaginaries. The authors stress the importance of comprehending and critically analyzing AI imaginaries for responsible technological development and societal engagement. They call for more scholarly attention to AI imaginaries, highlighting their dynamic nature influenced by cultural, social, and technological shifts. The paper underscores the significance of AI imaginaries in shaping public attitudes and advancing technology, encouraging scholars to concentrate on the underlying societal stories that define our interaction with AI.

About the guest

Bu Zhong is Dean and a tenured professor at the School of Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University, where he established the Department of Interactive Media in 2022. Meanwhile, he is a tenured full professor at the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communication and an affiliate professor at the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Pennsylvania State University. He is also the Senior Editor of Computers in Human Behavior, a SSCI journal with the impact factor of 9.9. His research applies decision-making theories to the analysis of information processing and its effects on behavior change, mental health, and social well-being. He has extensively explored human-technology interactions as a complex adaptive system, in which the complexity of social systems, digital technology use, and behavior change has been extensively scrutinized. Utilizing decision-making theories, his interdisciplinary research illuminates how individuals interact with digital technology and the resulting impact on behavior, mental well-being, and social systems.

Time: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 14:00

Address: Studio on the third floor of the Mingde News Building, RUC.

Bu Zhong’s presentation will be available both online and offline. For Tencent conference, please scan the below QR Code.

(The maximum capacity for registration for the Tencent conference is 250 people, and places are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Other audience members can participate in this event through the online live streaming channel offered below.)

“Mingxin Lecture” is one of RUC’s signature academic programs jointly launched by the School of Journalism and Communication, the Research Center of Journalism and Social Development, the Committee of Journalism and Communication of the China Association of Higher Education, and the Institute of National Governance and Public Opinion Ecology, aiming to offer expert opinions to its students. It is the fifth academic exchange brand program unveiled by the School of Journalism and Communication, following the Dean Forum of Chinese and Foreign Schools of Journalism and Communication, the Forum of Marxist Journalism, the Seminar on the Construction of Double First-class Journalism and Communication Disciplines, and the Mingxin Academic Salon.